


I Remember You

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Abuse, Canon, Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-20
Updated: 2003-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-27 12:58:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12081519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Brian is upset when he finds out the secret that Justin has been keeping about his new boyfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

"What the hell is he doing here?" Brian demanded seeing Justin step into the room carrying a big, elaborately wrapped present. With him was a young, attractive man that Brian knew as Galen, Justin's new lover. "He shouldn't be here, this is my sons birthday." 

"Brian, Justin is a part of Gus's life too." Lindsay said. "And I wanted him here. I practically begged him and Galen to come."

"I'm leaving. I'll pick Gus up tomorrow morning and take him to the park." Brian said reaching for his jacket. As he was pulling the sleeve over his arm he saw something that disturbed him. As Justin lifted Gus up over his head, the sleeve of his shirt fell down and Brian saw bruises all over his arms.

"Brian, you can't leave your own son's birthday party." Michael chastised him. He then saw that Brian's gaze was transfixed on Justin.

"Do you see that, Mikey?" Brian said. He didn't wait for an answer, he simply strode over to Justin and led him away from the group and upstairs to Lindsay and Melanie's bedroom. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Justin demanded. "You can't just lead me around like a toy anymore."

"How are things with Galen?" Brian asked trying to mask his anger at seeing his perfect boy's skin marked with dark bruises. After his attack 2 years ago, Brian couldn't stand to see Justin hurt, especially when it was at someone else's hand.

"Things are good with Galen. He's exactly what I've been waiting for." Justin said trying to sound selfassured, but sounding more like he was afraid to say anything else.

"Justin, take off your shirt." Brian growled.

"I'm not going to fuck you, Brian." Justin said in disbelief. "My boyfriend is downstairs."

"Justin, take off the fucking shirt. Now!!" Brian was now pacing the room. He couldn't believe his own almost irrational reaction.

"No, Brian. There's no reason." Justin was standing firm, but Brian saw the fear in his eyes. Justin reached for the door handle.

"Justin." The demanding way that Brian barked his name made Justin freeze in his tracks. He turned and looked at Brian directly in the eye. "Take off the shirt or I'll take it off for you." Brian said through clenched teeth.

"Brian, I can't." Justin said weakly. He was ashamed of what Brian would see.

"Justin." This time the name was said softer, more pleading. It was this that Justin reacted to. He reached under his shirt and pulled it over his head. Brian nearly fainted at what he saw there. There was one big purple bruise on Justin's left side, his arms were covered in finger bruises, and there was a long, jagged scrape on his shoulder blade. "What the fuck did he do to you?" Brian said in disbelief, he didn't understand how anyone could do such ugly things to someone so incredibly beautiful.

"It's nothing. I tripped." Justin said. 

"What did you trip on? Galen's fist while he was hitting you?" Brian demanded. The range of emotions that he was experiencing was vast.

"We got in a fight, it wasn't a big deal. He lost his temper and he shoved me. It was my fault, my stupid coordination... I fell against a table at his apartment." Justin was searching for excuses.

"What are you thinking?" Brian exploded. "You can never do anything so terrible that your boyfriend has a right to kick the shit out of you."

"He didn't. He just shoved me. He's really sorry." Justin stuttered his way through the explanation. "He doesn't mean to hurt me, I just keep doing stupid things."

"This happens a lot?" Brian helped Justin put his shirt back on and pulled him towards the bed. They both sat on the edge and Brian gently put his arm around Justin.

"No." Justin said. "Just sometimes I do things and I make him so mad." He leaned closer to Brian, feeling safer than he had felt in months, probably safer than he had felt since Brian and he had parted ways not-so-amiably about ten months earlier.

"What did you do to make him mad this time?" Brian asked gently. He was starting to feel Justin open up and he knew that was the only way he could help him.

"I asked him if we could go to Babylon. He thought I wanted to trick." Justin said. "I just missed going out to places I like to go."

"That's no reason for him to hit you. I know where you're at, Justin." Brian said. "Let me ask you something."

"Ok." Justin said a little uncomfortably.

"Do you remember a time when I was so mad at you that you thought I might hit you?" He asked. Justin winced a little.

"Only when the loft got robbed." 

"But I didn't hit you, Justin." Brian said. "I would never hit you. You should never let someone hurt you like that. And you should never believe that you deserve it."

"Brian..." Justin wrapped his arms around Brian's torso and hugged him close.

"Isn't this cozy." Galen said from the doorway. "We're leaving, Justin."

"Ok, Galen." Justin said hurriedly. Brian was amazed at how when Galen said "jump", Justin said "how high?" Justin looked at Brian. "It was nice seeing you again, Brian." And then he was gone. Brian was left glaring at Galen.

"Stay the fuck away from what's mine, Kinney. You had your chance and you blew it." Galen said angrily. Before he could turn to leave the room, Brian had him against the wall by the neck.

"If you put another bruise on that boy's body, I am going to kill you." Brian said. "And don't think that I won't find out. I know your little secret now." Brian let go of Galen's neck.

"Fuck you, Kinney. Stay out of our lives." Galen said. He turned on his heel, far too cocky for Brian's comfort, and left the room. He led Justin, who was still making excuses for having to leave, out to the car and then they were gone.

 

 

"You think he's what?" Emmett exclaimed when Brian told the guys about Justin and Galen's relationship that night at Woody's. "Let's go over there and kick the shit out of that little fucker!"

"I agree with Emmett." Michael said. 

"It won't work. The only way that Justin can get away from there is if he leaves on his own." Brian said. "Fuck!"

"Maybe Lindsay can talk to him. Or maybe we should tell his mother." Michael suggested. Brian looked at him and pondered it for a moment.

"If we do that, they are both going to freak out and worry about Justin, we can't put them through that." Brian said. "I don't know how we can help him." He leaned his elbows and looked down at the table.

"Holy shit...." Michael breathed. He grabbed Brian's arm and pulled on it. Brian looked up and saw what had Michael shocked. There, in the doorway, stood Justin. His eye was swollen shut, he was holding his arm against his chest and his lips was swelled up. Brian was up and over near Justin in a flash. 

"He fucking did this to you?" Brian demanded. "That fucking bastard did this to you?"

"Brian, I need your help." Justin said. "I think I need..." and that was the last words Justin's said at Woody's that night. He passed out and Brian caught him just before he hit his head on a stool.

"Hospital. We have to get him to a hospital." Ted said. 

"Brian, give me your keys and I'll go get the Jeep." Michael said hurriedly. "We need to get him to the doctor right away." Brian handed his keys to Michael before lifting Justin into his arms and carrying him out of the bar.

 

... one hour later...

 

"Brian!" Jennifer Taylor called as she ran down the hospital corridor towards where Brian sat. "Where is he? Where's Justin?"

"He's sleeping, Jen." Brian said. 

"What happened?" Jennifer asked sitting next to Brian, who gently took her hand. She looked at him pleadingly and he realized he had to tell her the truth, it would all come out eventually.

"Galen happened. He had a thing for kicking the shit out of Justin." Brian said. "I didn't know until I saw the bruises at Gus's party today, but there was nothing I could do. Justin went with him."

"Have you called the police?" Jennifer asked.

"They're on their way, or so they say." Brian said. "Jen, when you see his face it's going to look worse than it is."

"Oh god." Jennifer started to cry. Her son had been through so much in his twenty years, and everytime something terrible happened to him she felt like she should have helped him. "If I had known...." She let Brian take her in his arms and hold her.

"I said the same thing to myself." Brian sighed.

 

 

"Brian?" Justin asked when he woke up the next morning. They had given him something to take down the swelling so he could open his eye, but it was still really bruised. "What are you doing here?"

"Where else would I be?" Brian asked. "You came into Woody's last night looking like you had been in a boxing match."

"Galen... is he.....?" Justin looked up at Brian with fear flickering in his eyes.

"The cops picked him up this morning. He's in a holding cell downtown." Brian took Justin's hand. "They need to know if you want to press charges."

"Yes." Justin said and Brian saw a look in his eyes that he recognized. It was the strength that he once glowed with. "I want him to in jail."

"Justin, if he goes to trial, it isn't going to be easy." Brian told the boy. "I talked to Mel on the phone this morning and she said that domestic violence is hard to convict."

"I don't care. I want him away from me. I want a restraining order too." Justin had obviously seen what he needed to see the night before.

"Officer Baker is out in the hall, he wants to talk to you." Brian told Justin. "You're going to have to explain everything that happened. I'll stay with you the whole time if you want me to."

"I want you to." Justin sat up. "Thank you for being there for me. After what happened last year I know you didn't have to."

"Actually, I did have to. There's something about you that I have to protect." Brian pressed a gently kiss to Justin's temple before walking to the door and telling the police officer he could come in now.

"Hello, Justin. I'm Officer Baker, you can call me Tom if you want." The officer was probably in his mid-forties with a round belly and a thick moustache.

"Ok, Tom." Justin said quietly. Brian sat back down next to him on the bed and took his hand, ready to give a gentle squeeze if Justin got upset. This was sure to be an emotional conversation.

"Justin, can you tell me when the relationship became violent between you and Mr. McClellan?" The officer began.

"About three months ago. I came home late. Me and a few friends from school had gone out for a coffee. Galen had been waiting for me at his apartment. When I got there he was so mad. He said I was cheating on him." Justin's voice was shaking a little. He was starting to see that it really wasn't his fault.

"What happened then, Justin? Take your time." 

"He grabbed me by my arms and yelled at me, he was really close to my face and he was holding my arms so hard he was hurting me. The he pushed me away and he slapped me across the face." Justin felt tears welling in his eyes and he tried to blink them away.

"How often did instances like this occur?" The officer was writing down notes like a madman.

Justin took a deep breath before continuing. "About twice a week. Sometimes they weren't so bad. Just a slap and some mean words and then he would leave. When he came back he always had a little present. He would apologize and tell me it was just because he loved me. And that would be it. The bruises would fade and I would forgive him and try harder. But then there were times when he would hurt me so badly that I couldn't go to school or work for a couple of days. I couldn't forgive him for those as easily, but he would bring more presents and tell me he loved me more often. He knew just what to say." Justin was shaking and crying at this point.

"I only have a couple more questions, Justin. Do you need anything? Would you like me to get you some water or something?" Justin shook his head. "Ok, then, let's continue. What, if anything, happened last night to make him angry?"

"We went to Gus's party. Brian saw the bruises and took me upstairs to talk. When Galen came in we were hugging. He accused me of cheating on him, of not loving him, of loving Brian more. The thing is, this time I didn't tell him he was wrong. I told him I wasn't cheating on him, but he was right about me not loving him, and he was right about Brian meaning more to me than him." Justin said. He gulped and avoided Brian's eyes. "That was when he went crazy."

"Ok, Justin. If there's anything else I need to know, I'll be in touch." The officer offered a slight smile and left the room. It was then that Justin broke into a fit of sobs. Brian wrapped his arms protectively around Justin and said nothing as he waited for the sobs to run out.

 

 

"Justin, honey, I really think you should come stay with me for a while." Jennifer said as Justin got ready to leave the hospital. Justin looked at his mom pleadingly.

"Mom, really, I'll be fine. The dorms are really safe." He offered her a smile that looked so out of place on his bruised, swollen face.

"Justin, I think your mom's right. You shouldn't be alone right now." Brian said. "I'm sure Deb would love to have you stay with her. Or you could come stay with me at the loft."

"At the loft?" Justin repeated. "You'd let me stay with you?"

"Of course." Brian looked at him as if he was from Mars. "You lived there for over six months, why wouldn't I let you stay with me now?

"I dunno." Justin shrugged. "If you guys insist that I stay with one of you, Brian, I'll stay at the loft. But only for a few days. When I start feeling better I'm going back to the dorm."

"Ok, honey." Jennifer smiled. She was relieved that Justin would be staying with Brian. 

"I'm almost ready to go. Just let me use the washroom." Justin said. He turned and stepped into the washroom.

"How did you know that would work?" Jennifer asked Brian who smiled.

"I just figured he wouldn't want to go back to living with a parent figure. If he had the option of staying with you or with me, he would choose me because he wouldn't feel like he was too weak to survive without mommy." He shrugged. 

"Have I told you lately that I'm glad you're in his life?" Jennifer reached over and quickly hugged Brian. 

"Don't worry, Jen, I won't tell."

"Ok, let's go." Justin said when he walked out of the washroom.


	2. Chapter 2

In the two weeks that Justin had been staying with Brian after all that happened with Galen, the loft always seemed to be eerily silent. in the morning, the boys took their separate showers and got ready to go without saying a word. Brian would drive Justin to school and then go to work. After work he would go back and pick Justin up and they would come home for dinner. During the commutes they made sure the stereo was on so they wouldn't have to talk and during dinner they concentrated on their food. Brian would go out with the boys to Woody's and then to Babylon, but never offered to bring Justin along. Justin never asked.

"Wanna come out with me and the boys?" Brian asked when the maddening silence finally got to him. "They've been asking about you."

"Yeah, I'll come." Justin said with a smile. He was also glad that the awkwardness was seemingly over. "I can't wait to see them."

Brian and Justin got in the Jeep and headed to Liberty Ave. They went into the diner and were greeted with a joyful shriek that they both knew well. Debbie ran over to them and swept Justin up in a tight hug. 

"I've been wondering when you were finally gunna pay me a visit!" She exclaimed happily. Her joy wasn't only due to Justin's appearance in the diner, but because he looked like her Sunshine again. The bruises on his face were gone and he was walking normally. And smiling. It was the smile that tugged at her heart.

"I'm glad I came." Justin said. "And I desperately need some lemon squares." He let himself be led to a booth by Debbie. Brian followed.

"You just wait right here, Sunshine. I'll bring you as many lemon squares as you can eat. On the house!" She was so excited that when she left she practically skipped to the kitchen.

"She missed you." Brian said quietly. "We all did."

"You missed me?" Justin asked. After what had happened with them when Justin moved out, he wasn't sure Brian would have even thought about him.

"Of course I missed you. There was no one around to cook for me and keep the losers away at Babylon." Brian said playfully. Justin loved when Brian was in this kind of mood.

Justin smiled and was about to reply when Debbie returned with a plate full of lemon squares. "Who knows what this guy has been feeding you." She said. "If you need anything, Sunshine, anything at all, you just call me and I'll be right over."

"Thanks, Deb." Justin replied.

"Well, if it isn't our baby!" Emmett's voice carried over to the booth from the doorway. He ran over and pulled Justin up into a hug. "We missed you, honey."

"I missed you too, Em." Justin loved the attention he was getting. He hadn't been sure that any of his old friends from Liberty Ave had missed him, but now he knew how much they cared.

"Brian threatened us with harm to our... um... nether regions if we bothered you while you were still getting over what that little fucker did to you." Emmett said. 

"Well, I needed some peace and quiet." Justin covered his surprise at Brian's protective attitude towards him. He realized now that Brian hadn't been ignoring him, but had been giving him time to recover.

"Well, tonight we celebrate your return." Emmett's arms went up in a flourish. "Let's sit." He said sweetly and patted the seat next to him. Justin sat back down and Emmett put an arm around him.

"Emmett." Brian said warningly from the other side of the table. Emmett quickly removed his arm from Justin's shoulders and regarded Brian curiously.

"Well, well, well." He said with a smile. He hadn't been sure, but now he knew that Brian and Justin were back into the same routine as before. It was unspoken, but the two possessed each other.

"Where are Mikey and Ted?" Justin asked. 

"Mikey is out with his new man. They're meeting us at Babylon. They've been together for over a month now, can you believe it?" Emmett spoke animatedly. He loved being the one to catch Justin up on the scoop. "And our Teddy is on his way. He's working late tonight. He'll meet us at Babylon later too."

"Michael has a boyfriend?" Justin asked in disbelief. "What's he like? Is he like David?" Even though he hadn't known David very well, Justin hadn't cared for him much. He was too patronizing.

"Oh, no, sweetie. Mac is an angel! He's 28, totally adorable, hung like a horse," Emmett said with a goofy look on his face, "and he and Michael are so sweet together. They make me wish I was happy and in love."

"Yeah, Mac is a nice guy." Brian put in. He wasn't lying. He and Mac got along really well and he was happy that Michael was dating someone who wasn't overbearing and self-absorbed.

"You actually like him?" Justin said with a chuckle.

"He's good for Mikey." Brian said looking away, signaling that he was finished commenting on his feelings about Michael's new love.

"What about you, Em? What have you been doing?" Justin asked. Emmett got an excited look on his face and went on to tell Justin about his fabulous new job and an even more outrageous store for men's fashions, the string of men who had broken his heart in the last several months, and the fabulous new shirt he found in a hole in wall thrift store.

"Are you two ready to go?" Brian asked before Emmett moved on to telling Justin about anything else. "We should meet Mikey soon."

"Sure. Let's go." Justin said. He stood up and pulled on his coat. 

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Emmett clapped his hands together with excitement. Justin smiled. It was good to know that Em hadn't lost his enthusiasm.

 

 

"Justin, this is Mac." Michael introduced his gorgeous new boyfriend with pride. Justin had to admit, Michael had quite the catch. "Mac, this is Justin."

"Nice to meet you." Mac said. 

"Nice to meet you too. The guys have told me all about you." Justin said with a smile. 

"Don't believe anything Brian said." Mac winked. "He's trouble, that one." 

"I'm trouble?" Brian laughed. "You're just jealous cause I'm hotter than you." Justin was surprised at the rapport Brian and Mac had. He never thought Brian would be able to get along with any of Michael's boyfriends, much less befriend them.

"Keep dreaming, Kinney." Mac nuzzled Michael's neck. "Let's dance, beautiful." He and Michael headed out to the dance floor and began to dance quite seductively. 

"They're perfect for each other." Justin commented.

"Yeah, Mac's a good guy." Brian said without looking over at the dancing couple. He was too focused on Justin. He loved seeing him with the lights flashing on him, he looked like a dream.

"I'm surprised you two get along." Justin said. "I was convinced you would have disdain for anyone who took Michael away."

"No. Just the scummy wannabe doctors who take him away." Brian said with a smirk. He put an arm around Justin. "Want a drink?"

"Sure do." Justin said. He and Brian made their way to the bar and Brian ordered them a couple of beers. "It's good to be back." Justin said as he watched all the beautiful boys dancing.

"I'm glad." Brian said. "Can I interest you in a dance?" Justin smiled and the two of them headed out to the floor. Other than in bed with him, dancing with Brian was Justin's favorite place to be and it was truly amazing to be back there with him after all the time that had passed.

... Two Hours Later ...

"Brian, I'm ready to go." Justin said breathlessly. "It's getting late." Brian looked at Justin and could tell that he was exhausted. They had, after all, been dancing nearly the entire time they were there. Once Ted had arrived, the whole group shared some space on the dance floor and danced together.

"Yeah, me too." Brian replied. "Let's go." He put an arm around Justin and, after saying goodbye to the guys, they headed out to the jeep.

"Thank you for bringing me. I really needed that." Justin said truthfully once they were en route back to the loft. "I'm starting to feel like myself again."

"Can I ask you something?" While Brian spoke, his voice broke.

"Sure, you can ask me anything." Justin said. He turned to face Brian who continued to watch the road but glanced over at Justin every few seconds.

"Was it something I did... I mean, Did I... Well, was it my fault that you ended up with Galen?" Brian struggled with how to put his self doubt into words.

"How would it be your fault?" Justin asked.

"Well, when we broke up I was really angry and I said some things I didn't mean. I was wondering if maybe I hurt you so much that you ended up with a violent guy." Brian asked quietly. He couldn't believe he was actually asking these questions.

"Brian, Galen was manipulative and he knew just what to say to make me feel special and to make me feel like it was my fault when he hurt me. When we broke up I felt like I wasn't enough, like I had failed. Galen caught on to that and he used it to his advantage." Justin was shocked with what he was saying. He had never realized just how Galen had gotten him into and kept him in such an abusive relationship. He had been wondering what had happened to all his strength. The truth was, he hadn't lost it, Galen had just used his insecurities against him.

"You were enough, Justin." Brian said. "You did everything right. And maybe that was the problem. You were so perfect, and I knew I wasn't."

"Brian..." Justin began but didn't know how to finish. Instead, he reached over and touched took Brian's hand. Their eyes met and they knew they were headed somewhere neither of them had ever been.

 

 

Brian and Justin could hardly keep their hands, and lips, off each other as they stumbled into the loft. It had been so long since they had felt each other's bodies that they couldn't get enough. They were addicted to each other and now that they'd had a taste, they wanted, needed, craved more.

"The bed, Brian." Justin said breathlessly putting his arms around Brian's neck and Brian lifted him into his arms and carried him up the stairs to the bedroom. Justin was attacking Brian's neck with his mouth, kissing and biting. He wanted to leave his mark on Brian.

"Oh, baby I don't know if I can be gentle tonight." Brian said tossing Justin onto the bed and jumping in with him. Justin grabbed for Brian and pulled him close.

"Don't, then. Take me, Brian. I need to feel you." Justin panted against Brian's ear. They immediately began tearing at each other's clothes. As soon as they were naked, Brian lowered his head to Justin's lap and began sucking on Justin's cock teasingly, taking it all into his mouth and pulling it all the way out. Justin was on the edge of cumming when Brian stopped. 

"Don't cum yet. I want to be inside you when you cum. I want to cum with you." Brian said as he grabbed for the lube and a condom. "I'm going to make you mine again." He ground out before swiftly entering Justin, who cried out in the pleasure of it.

"Oh, please, Brian! Please!" He cried. "I need it!"

"Oh, yeah, baby. Say my name." Brian said as he pumped into Justin. "You're mine. You're mine." He repeated as he thrust in and out of Justin. 

When the two lovers came together it was like the earth moved. They collapsed together and held onto each other tight. They knew this was where they were supposed to be. Everything felt right.


	3. Chapter 3

"This is perfect." Justin said as he and Brian basked in the afterglow of their passionate lovemaking. Brian pulled him closer and held him close. He knew that he could tell Justin what he needed to know without having to risk himself by saying the words.

As they drifted off to sleep, Justin thought back to the events that brought him to this exact moment. He still couldn't believe that after everything that had happened he was back here in Brian's arms again, back where he was supposed to be. He thought of all the moments that he had believed he would never be here again.

 

 

... 9 Months Earlier...

"Dammit, Justin!" Brian exploded. "If you don't want to be here, then just leave!" They were arguing yet again about the way Brian had been acting lately. It had become a common occurrence that Justin would return from work and he and Brian would argue about Brian's increasing amount of tricking. They would go to bed angry and have incredible make up sex at some point in the night. Justin was certain that wouldn't be happening tonight.

"Why can't you just be the Brian that I used to know?" Justin said as he began throwing his belongings into the luggage that Brian had bought him for their trip to Jamaica that Brian promised he would schedule as soon as he could take some time off work.

"I am!" Brian exclaimed with frustration. This fight was exactly the same as all the others. The same accusations, the same denials. "I told you when you moved in here that I wasn't going to change my life for you."

"I'm not asking you to stop!" Justin turned and looked at Brian. He was angry but he was also on the verge of bursting into tears. "I'm just asking why you went back to having a different trick every night! I'm sick of you coming home and making love to me after you fucked some nameless guy in the backroom."

"You knew that this was how it was going to be." Brian said more calmly than Justin was comfortable with. "You knew who and what I was when we started this."

"This, what you are now, isn't who and what you were when I fell in love with you." Justin zipped the suitcases and dragged them to the front door.

"Then leave, Justin." Brian said sitting down on the couch facing away from Justin. "Just go." Justin gasped. Brian really wanted him to go, he didn't want to make up this time and he had no intention of apologizing.

"Well, I guess that's it then." Justin walked out of the loft with his two suitcases and didn't look back. He called a cab from his cell phone as he stood outside Brian's building with tears burning his eyes.

The next two months went by quickly for Justin who was still working waiting tables at a small French restaurant, living in the dorms, and working hard to get high marks in all his classes at the IFA. He never went out to Liberty Ave or made contact with any of the people who he had considered his family when he lived out there. He saw his mom and Molly every Sunday night for dinner, but kept to himself mostly. 

"Excuse me." A male voice said causing Justin to look up from the sketch he had been working at furiously. Justin looked up and was amazed by what he saw. A truly beautiful guy stood in front of him. He was maybe a couple of years older than Justin, with thick black hair that curled over the collar of his shirt, piercing green eyes, and pale porcelain skin. He was taller than Justin, not by much though, and he had defined muscles in his arms that showed through his tight black shirt.

"Yeah?" was all Justin could get out as he looked at the vision of perfection that stood in front of him.

"Can I sit?" The guy asked. Justin gestured with his arm for him to sit. The guy sat and looked at Justin's sketch. It was a sketch from memory of Emmett, who Justin missed terribly. "Is that your boyfriend?"

"No." Justin laughed a little at the thought. "That's my from Emmett." 

"I'm Galen." The guy said. "When I saw you I just had to come over and introduce myself." He put his hand out.

"Justin Taylor." Justin introduced himself and took Galen's hand. Instead of shaking it, as Justin had expected, Galen lifted Justin's hand to his lips and brushed his lips over the knuckles. 

"I'm glad I met you, Justin Taylor." He said with a smile. 

And that was where it began. Justin began spending all of his free time with Galen, and was soon spending nights in his bed. Galen was the perfect boyfriend at first. He took Justin to fancy restaurants and brought him flowers. He told Justin he was beautiful all the time. He had no trouble with expressing his feelings. Justin was doomed to get caught up in the fairy tale that Galen was spinning for him.

"Sweetheart, do you want to come over for dinner tonight?" Galen asked one afternoon when he saw Justin between classes.

"Sure." Justin said absently. He was thinking about an assignment that he had to finish. He would need to get together with his inspiration group at some point and ask them what they thought.

"Awesome. I'll see you at 7 then?" Galen asked pressing a kiss on Justin's temple. Justin nodded and kept walking. He was starting to worry about his honors standing. It was getting close to the end of the year and he had to make sure he kept his grades up.

He called everyone in his group and they met at a coffee shop just off campus to talk about assignments that each of them had and offer any assistance they could for other people. Justin got a lot of great ideas from his group and when he left three hours later he was happy that the group had met. 

"Galen!" Justin called when he let himself in to Galen's apartment at about 8:30 that night. He had forgotten completely about Galen's dinner invitation.

"Where the fuck were you?" Galen's voice sounded different that Justin had ever heard it. He couldn't even see Galen sitting on the couch in the complete darkness of the apartment.

"Inspiration group. We got hung up and it went long." Justin said with a smile. He toed off his shoes and dropped his backpack on the floor. "I'm gunna have a shower."

"Who was he, Justin? Was he hot?" Galen asked. Justin now recognized the inflection in Galen's voice as rage.

"What are you talking about?" Justin asked with a chuckle of disbelief at what he had just heard his boyfriend say. Suddenly Galen grabbed his arm and shoved him against the wall roughly.

"Who did you fuck?" Galen demanded. "Did you go back to Brian? Did he come find you? Or was it someone new?" Justin was becoming really scared of Galen's behavior.

"I told you. I was at Inspiration group. I have an assignment due next week that I needed a little advice on. It's not a big deal." Justin tried to sound confident, though he was in truth terrified.

"You are mine." Galen growled. "If anyone else touches you, I'll kill them. And then I'll kill you. Do you understand me, Justin?"

"Galen--"

"Do you understand?" Galen's grip on Justin's arm tightened. Justin nodded and bit back his tears. "I had dinner ready for us. You ruined our perfect evening, Justin."

"I'm sorry." Justin said. He wasn't sure why he was apologizing, but he was sure that Galen wouldn't be so mad if he hadn't done anything wrong. 

After that, Justin got used to Galen's fits of anger and was sure that he was doing something wrong. He tried to do better but Galen seemed to get angry with him over things that Justin couldn't imagine getting angry over. Wanting to spend a night in his dorm study got Justin hurled across the room and into a glass topped table earning cuts and bruises all over his arms and torso. Calling to cancel a date when he wasn't feeling well got him a sprained wrist. And not inviting Galen to Sunday dinner at his mothers house when Galen suggested it got him a minor concussion. Justin realized that the injuries were getting worse and worse, but he was convinced that they were all his fault. 

He was also convinced that Galen didn't want to hit him, but he had to when Justin was being a bad boyfriend. Galen always had a nice gift and a heartfelt apology followed by "but you know you deserved it."

When Lindsay called Justin and asked him to come to Gus's birthday, he used every excuse to try and get out of it. He didn't want to tell Galen he was going to a party that Brian was, no doubt, going to be attending. 

"Oh, but Gus misses his Jusjus." Lindsay said. "It would be his best birthday present if you would come."

"Oh, Linds, I'm really busy with school, and with my new boyfriend." Justin said hoping that she would realize that having a new boyfriend and being at a party with your ex boyfriend, or whatever Brian had been to him, was too awkward.

"Well, bring the new boyfriend with you. I'm sure everyone would love to meet him." Lindsay said ignoring the fact that she knew Brian would be less than thrilled to see Justin, much less his new boyfriend.

"Oh, I don't think I can." Justin said regretfully. He really did want to see Gus, but he knew that Galen wouldn't approve.

"You don't even have to speak to him." Lindsay said seriously. 

"Who?" Justin asked knowing full well who she was talking about.

"Brian." Lindsay replied. She also knew that Justin knew she meant Brian and was trying to act like he didn't matter. "You're coming, you're bringing your boyfriend, and it will be a great time. Bye, Justin." With that, Lindsay hung up. She was content that she had won, and Justin would be attending Gus's party.

"Who was that?" Galen demanded after Justin got off the phone. He could hear the affection in Justin's voice and was, again, convinced that Justin was playing around behind his back.

"Lindsay. She wants me to come to Gus's birthday party." Galen was well aware of who Lindsay and Gus were, and more importantly, who Gus's father was.

"You aren't going." Galen said. 

"She wants me to bring you with me." Justin said. "She said Gus really misses me and it would make his birthday even better to see me."

"And I suppose all the freaks from Liberty Avenue that you used to call friends will be there?" Galen said, his voice dripping with disdain.

"They aren't freaks. And yes, they'll all be there." Justin said. 

"I suppose they're why you wanted to go to Babylon yesterday. So you could see all your old friends? Go back to your old slutty ways? Go back to Brian?"

"Galen, I just wanted to go out. It gets boring staying in all the time." Justin said. He remember what his request to spend an evening at Babylon had gotten him and still felt that he had to explain himself. He could still feel the sharp pain in his ribs every time he inhaled.

"Is going to this party going to make you long for Liberty Avenue again?"

"No. I don't want that life anymore. I want a life with you. But I really wanna go to the party. I miss Gus too." Justin admitted. 

"Fine. We'll go then. But we aren't going to stay long. And I don't want you anywhere near Brian, you hear me?" Galen said and without waiting for an answer left the room. 

 

 

Justin shivered as he thought about everything that he endured when he was with Galen. He felt Brian's hold on him tighten and he knew that he was finally exactly where he belonged and Galen couldn't hurt him anymore.

"Go to sleep, baby." Brian said against Justin's ear. "It's late."

"Goodnight, Brian." Justin said and snuggled against his lover. I know you'll protect me, he thought to himself as his eyes fluttered closed, I know you love me.


	4. Chapter 4

"Honey! I'm home!" Brian called teasingly as he walked into the loft after work. All day he had thought about coming home to Justin who had promised to prepare a nice dinner for them to share before heading out to Babylon with the boys. In the past several weeks while Justin had been staying at the loft, the two had fallen into a comfortable routine that both of them really enjoyed. 

Justin would go to school and then come home to the loft where he would work on his homework and then start on dinner or order in. When Brian got home they would eat together and talk about their days. Justin liked to hear about Brian's campaigns and would often offer his artistic opinion. Brian would always listen with interest to Justin's stories about school.

After dinner they would take care of the dishes together and then they would either go out with the guys or they would just stay in and hang out. They both loved their time together. Justin was really starting to feel comfortable and confident about himself. He wasn't scared anymore either. But there were moments, just like today, when got scared.

"Brian! You're early!" Justin's heart started beating fast. "I got caught up in my homework and I haven't started dinner. I'll start right now." He ran into the kitchen and started putting dinner together. Brian saw the look on Justin's face and became worried. When he heard Justin drop a pot in the kitchen, he hurried in. "I'm sorry, Brian! I'll try harder next time."

Brian walked over and Justin pulled back a little. "Baby, it's okay." His voice was barely a whisper. "Don't be scared of me." He gently put his arms around Justin and held him until he felt him relax.

"Sometimes I forget that I'm not still there and that you won't hurt me." Justin felt tears well up in his eyes and he pulled Brian back against him and held him close. "I'm so lucky to have you."

"Oh, baby." Brian kissed the top of Justin's head and kept holding him. He hated when he saw the flashes of fear in Justin's eyes, they made him want to find Galen and show him what it was like to get the crap kicked out of you. He wished that Justin hadn't chosen to drop the assault charges against Galen.

 

***

Brian sat on the couch after Justin fell asleep thinking about the events of the last year. He didn't know how he had survived all those months without Justin. He now admitted to himself that while he had survived, he hadn't really lived. Sure, there were other tricks, like there had been before Justin, but none of them even began to fill the void. Brian had to admit that, with Justin, it hadn't been only about sex. Not since that first night. Maybe not even on that first night.

He wondered if he did know on that first night that Justin wasn't like all the others. Was there something in his eyes even when he saw him standing under the light of the street light, the evening fog gathering around his ankles? Was it that this sweet, innocent, beautiful man trusted him enough to come home with him and give up his virginity?

Do I love him? Brian asked himself. Can I love him? Am I capable of it? Do I even believe in in? Can I give up tricking for good and just be with Justin? Brian was wracked with all these questions and he wondered if he would ever find the answers. Or if maybe, just maybe, the answers were already there and he was just too scared to see it.

"Baby, it's time for bed." Brian whispered in his young lovers ear. Justin just moaned and cuddled closer to Brian. Brian lifted Justin off the couch and carried him to bed. Once they were both snuggled peacefully into bed, Brian took a deep breath and said the words for the first time. "I love you, Justin. I love you so much." And to his surprise, it felt right. With Justin, everything felt right. 

***

 

"Justin." A familiar voice made Justin jump up off the bench he was sitting on sketching on campus. He turned and Galen stood there smiling at him. To Justin, he looked like another person. He looked like the person Justin had first met. "Hi." Galen said. He looked nervous.

"Galen, go away." Justin said and turned to walk away. Before he could even get five feet away Galen grabbed his arm and swung him around. "Let me go, Galen." Justin said keeping his voice controlled.

"Justin, I'm so sorry about what happened. My life has no meaning without you." Tears came to Galen's eyes as he plead his case to his former lover.

"Well, life without meaning?" Justin almost laughed. "I'm sure you'll find someone else to smack around to give your life meaning."

"He turned you against me, didn't he? That Brian Kinney. He was always between us." Galen exploded. Justin saw the familiar flare of rage in Galen's eyes, but this time Galen didn't scare him. 

"Brian Kinney is ten times the man you'll ever be!" Justin returned. "And I didn't need him to turn against you, you did that all on your own."

"Justin!" Galen didn't know what to do. Justin had never came back at him with something like that. He could do nothing but stand there while Justin turned and walked away calmly, head held high.

"It's over." Justin said to himself. He smiled to himself. Now he knew that he was stronger than Galen, and even he himself, had thought. He broke the cycle, he stood up for himself. He was one of the few. 

 

***

"How's Justin doing?" Lindsay asked as she watched Gus eat his spaghetti. His face was completely covered in red sauce. Brian laughed at the look on his son's face as he enjoyed his dinner.

"He's doing really well. In no time he'll be the Justin we all knew and loved." Brian said before he realized what was coming out of his mouth. As soon as he realized that the word love had come out of his mouth his eyes snapped up to Lindsay’s face to see if she had noticed. She had.

"Love?" She said in that way that only Lindsay could, her eyebrows raised. "So you're finally admitting it?"

"Well, he's a good kid." Brian tried to shrug it off. He wasn't ready to admit that he loved Justin to someone else before he admitted it to Justin himself. 

"You haven't told him yet, have you?" Brian realized that Lindsay knew him even better than he thought. He looked up at her and shook his head. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." She smiled and leaned over to kiss Brian lightly.

"So, how's Mel?" Brian asked desperate to change the subject.

"She's well." Lindsay said with a smile. "She got a big case at work so she isn't as much as usual, but she should be done in about a month and then we were thinking of taking a little vacation?"

"You need a babysitter?" Brian asked with a laugh.

"It'll only be for the weekend." She said.

"We'll do it." Brian said. 

"We?" Back was that same Lindsay tone and the raised eyebrow. Brian looked at her warningly and she only smiled. "Thanks, Brian." 

"Well, Sonny Boy hasn't come for a sleepover in a while." He smiled and looked at his spaghetti-covered son. "Right, Gus?"

"Gus, do you want to spend a weekend with Daddy and Justin?" Lindsay asked.

"Yay!" Gus clapped his hands together sending sauce flying in all directions. "Daddy and Justin."

"Well, I guess that's an answer." Brian said with a smirk. Lindsay grinned. Now she knew what Brian was like when he was in love. He didn't even notice the spaghetti sauce that was sitting on his red silk tie.

***

"Have I told you lately that it's good to have you back?" Emmett asked Justin that night at Babylon as they stood by the bar watching Brian, Michael, and Mac out on the dance floor.

"Em, you tell me that every time I come out with you guys." Justin laughed. Emmett threw and arm around Justin casually until he saw the look Brian shot him from the dance floor after seeing the movement.

"He loves you, kiddo." Emmett said with a little laugh. "I've never seen him before like he is now. With you."

"I know he loves me. I'm just waiting for him to know." Justin said. He set down his empty beer bottle. "Let's go join them on the dance floor."

"You got it, honey." Emmett said. "I wanna try out my new move anyways. The Buddha." He took Justin's hand and they joined the guys on the dance floor.

Brian grabbed the front of Justin's shirt and pulled him close. "This is where you belong." He said into Justin's ear before pulling him close for a sweet kiss. They danced close like that all night. And Justin knew. He knew that this was where he belonged. He had no intention of being anywhere else.


	5. Chapter 5

Brian and Justin were sitting on the couch watching a movie as Gus slept soundly on Brian's bed. He had fallen asleep there not long after dinner and the boys had decided not to move him until they were ready for bed. Though the movie was playing on the big screen, both Brian and Justin were preoccupied with their thoughts. 

Justin thought of something one of his friends from school had asked him. He had been sitting in the quad when his friend, Darla, had come up to him and they began talking about a trip some of the students in his inspiration group were taking. It was a weekend trip to New York to see some museums and small galleries. She wondered if he would come. He said he would think about it. She then asked him if he was going to be moving back into the dorms soon. He hadn't really thought about it. For over three months he had been living at the loft with Brian, only stopping at the dorm to check in with his roommate and get his mail. 

After Darla's question, and his lack of an answer to it he wondered if Brian wanted him to stay or move back into the dorms full time. He knew that it was time to make a decision because there were hundreds of people on the waiting list. Justin knew that Brian liked having him around, but wasn't sure if he wanted to take the serious step of them moving in together again. They both knew what a disaster it had been the last time.

Things are different this time, he told himself. And things were different now. Brian almost never hooked up with tricks, and when he did he never mentioned it or acted differently. He was extremely attentive to his young lover, but not so much that it felt awkward. He always seemed to like when he and Justin went out to the clubs and was easily affectionate when they were in public. The buzz on Liberty Avenue was that the former King of Babylon had snagged the one man that no one thought was snaggable. 

Brian's thoughts as he held his baby on his lap were of a different nature. It had been over a month since he had realized that he loved Justin and, though he said them every night after Justin was fast asleep, he had yet to say the words to Justin's face. He knew he had to make it special, Justin deserved it to be special. He was wracking his brains for plans to make it perfect. There was one thing Cynthia had mentioned in passing that he was trying to decide on, but he wasn't yet sure.

Neither Brian nor Justin knew that the other was caught in his own thoughts as the images on the screen played. Each thought that the other was intently watching the movie. They were roused from their thoughts when Gus woke from his nap.

"Daddy! Me thirsty!" Gus called as he toddled out of the bedroom rubbing his eyes. As Brian got up and picked Gus up, Justin reached for his sketchpad. The image of Gus rubbing his eyes was too adorable for him to pass up the chance to draw.

"Juice?" Brian asked Gus as he sat him on the counter and kissed his fingertips.

"Juice." Gus said. "Me want pink juice." He said with a smile. He loved staying with his daddy and Jussy. Brian poured the juice into Gus's cup and snapped on the lid. Gus was reaching for it and Brian had to reach out and catch him before he slipped off the counter.

Justin was sketching furiously on the couch while the image of Gus standing at the top of the stairs to Brian's bedroom sleepily was still fresh in his mind. When Gus jumped on his lap he laughed and set his sketchbook on the coffee table before hugging Gus close to him.

"Hey, Gus. Are you gunna come watch a movie with us?" Justin asked with a smile. Gus started bouncing on his lap and flailing his arms in the air. 

"Gus movie! Gus movie!" He exclaimed. He kept bouncing and accidentally smacked Justin in the face with his arm. "Jussy! He exclaimed. He knew that hitting was bad and swiftly kissed the spot sloppily on Justin's head where his hand had connected. 

"Thank you for kissing me better, Gus." Justin said. "I think we can watch the Gus movie, but ask your daddy." He pressed a kiss to Gus's cheek.

"Ask your daddy what?" Brian asked as he returned to the living room.

Gus jumped off Justin's lap and walked over to his daddy. He looked up at Brian with the doe eyes he had learned got him everything he wanted. "Daddy, Gus movie?" He asked sweetly.

"Sure, Gus Gus." Brian said with a laugh. His son had become addicted to Cinderella the moment he heard his name in the movie.

"Gus movie! Gus movie!" He exclaimed jumping up and down.

 

 

"Are you sure we have to do this?" Brian grimaced as he walked up to Chuck E. Cheese with Gus on his shoulders and Justin's hand in his. 

"Brian, Gus loves it here." Justin reminded him. Justin had to admit, he was a little nervous about Brian spending an afternoon at the family fun center.

"What is it with my kid and some giant rat?" Brian asked.

"It's a mouse, Brian." Justin laughed.

"He likes toys. Can't we take him to a toy store and buy him everything he wants?" Brian paused at the entrance hoping Justin wasn't really going to make him go inside.

"Let's see, screaming kids who want every toy that their parents won't buy them or happy kids who get to eat pizza and spend an afternoon with a giant mouse? Hmmm, hard." Justin said sarcastically, pulling Brian into the building.

"You're right. Bring on the pizza and the mouse." Brian said. "But I expect to be compensated fully once Linds and Melanie get back."

"I promise." Justin said with a laugh.

"Gus, are you ready to see Chuck E. Cheese?" Brian asked with a smile.

"Chuck E. Cheese! Chuck E. Cheese!" Gus exclaimed as he bounced up and down on Brian's back. He had developed a thing for chanting and bouncing, no matter where he was.

... Three Hours Later...

"Why did we go there again?" Brian asked as they pulled out of the Chuck E. Cheese parking lot. Gus was sound asleep in his child seat and Justin, having actually enjoyed the afternoon, was smiling. 

"Gus. He loved it. I've never seen him smile so much, and he's a happy happy kid on a normal day." Justin said with a laugh. "Tomorrow we can take him somewhere quieter."

"Or we could just stay in the loft and let him watch the entire Disney Princess collection on DVD that Lindsay brought over. She says he loves those and it'll keep him quiet for at least a few hours." Brian said dryly. He really did have a good time but couldn't drop the facade of having hated it. He had, however, gotten a little angry at the looks he and Justin had been getting from all the straight parents.

"We'll see what Gus wants to do. How about that?" Justin asked. "Linds and Mel will be back tomorrow night."

"And then I have you all to myself right?" Brian asked hopefully.

"Well, I promised, didn't I?" Justin replied. 

"Good." Brian said making a decision. "I'm going to drop you and Gus off at the loft and go run a couple or errands, ok?"

"K. I'm sure you need a break after the day you've had." He leaned over and kissed his lover on the cheek. "Tonight we can take him to Deb's. She offered to give us a couple of hours off to go and unwind."

"She's an angel." Brian said dramatically. He pulled up in front of the loft and kissed Justin swiftly before he lifted Gus's car seat out and carried him into the building. "I won't be long!" Brian called before the door to the building closed. "There's only one place I have to go." He said to himself with a small smile.

 

 

"Deb, have I told you lately that you are a beautiful, generous, and amazing woman?" Brian asked as he kissed Deb on her temple after she set Gus up with a movie in front of the TV. 

"Not lately." Deb said. She really liked the Brian that she had been seeing lately. The one who was madly in love with Justin. "What time will you two be back?"

Brian looked at the clock on the VCR. "Probably about ten?" He suggested. "I was thinking we would go out for dinner and then meet the boys for a drink at Woody's."

"Ten is just fine, Brian." Debbie put her arm around Brian's waist and squeezed lightly. She was extremely proud of him. She never thought she'd see the day that Brian Kinney grew up.

"See you later, Deb. Vic." He said before slipping out the front door to join Justin in the Jeep. When he climbed in the driver's seat he leaned over and kissed Justin before driving off down the street towards a delicious Vietnamese restaurant he had recently discovered.

"We going for Vietnamese?" Justin asked.

"Sure are. And I told the guys we'd meet them for a drink at Woody's after. But we have to be back at Deb's by ten or Gus will turn into a pumpkin." Brian said with a laugh. Justin could tell he was in a goofy mood again and was pleased.

"We've been watching too much Gus movie." Justin slipped his hand into Brian's as they drove. Though neither of them said it, they were turning into a full-fledged couple. Quiet dinners, evenings at home, hand holding.... it was all leading to a place Brian had never thought he would go but was starting to look forward to. Sometimes he found himself thinking, are we there yet? like a little child on a road trip.

When they reached the restaurant, they climbed out of the Jeep and met in the middle. They clasped their hands and walked into the restaurant. Holding hands was a reflex for both of them these days. It made them feel connected and safe when they were together.

"Mr. Kinney, Mr. Taylor. " The thin Vietnamese waitress said. "We seem to be seeing the two of you a lot lately." And she was right, Brian had been taking Justin their at least twice a week for the last three weeks. 

"What can I say? I'm having an intimate relationship with the spring rolls." Brian said. "And this one here loves those fried thingy’s. The Imperial rolls. You'd better not get all fat from all that fried food."

"You're just jealous cuz you can't eat all the greasy yummy foods at your age or you'll start to look like Drew Carey." Justin said. Brian playfully glared at him but started laughing.

"Should I get you guys the regular?" The waitress asked.

"You sure should." Brian said. He reached across the table and took Justin's hand as the waitress made her way back to the kitchen. 

"This is nice." 

"What, the peace and quiet?" Brian asked referring to their afternoon with screaming children and a giant mouse.

"No. Just being here. With you." Justin said. Brian just smiled. 

Over dinner they talked about Brian's work and Justin's school. Their conversations these days were in depth and animated. It was like they were trying to learn everything about each other that they never knew. They shared all the funny stories of things they had experienced. Justin, especially, loved hearing about things Brian had experienced because he felt like Brian was finally letting him in and he was learning the things that he had always wanted to know.

"You ready?" Brian asked after they had finished their dinner and their wine and Brian had taken care of the bill. "The guys will be waiting for us."

"Yeah." Justin slipped his coat on and the two of them left the restaurant, once again, holding hands. 

 

 

"So he comes up to me and says 'Hey, you wanna come back to my bat cave?" Michael had everyone laughing as he regaled them with stories about the comic book conference he had attended in New York the previous week. About a year earlier, Michael had taken some money he had saved and bought a comic book store. It was his dream job.

"What did you say?" Emmett asked with a laugh. 

"I told him that my boyfriend is enough of a superhero for me, but if we ever broke up I would send him a signal with the bat light." Michael laughed and laughed. He had everyone in stitches, including Brian.

"I am so glad there wasn't any real competition out there." Mac said. He and Michael were closer than ever and tossing around the idea of moving in together. Neither of them were really pushing it, but both were just tossing around the idea.

"At a comic book convention?" Brian asked. "Unless Mikey is looking for some scrawny little comic nerd, I think you're in the clear."

"Why, Brian, I think that's the best compliment you've ever given me." Mac jokingly pressed his hand to his heart.

"Don't get used to it." Brian said with a smile. Mac was quickly becoming a part of the group, kind of the way Justin had, and Brian was glad that it was Mac and not another guy like David that Michael was getting serious with. Mac was always respectful of Michael and never took him for granted. 

"Never!" Mac said. "We all know that kind words coming out of the great and powerful Kinney's mouth are few and far between."

"Unless they're directed at our baby here." Emmett said smiling. He put an arm around Justin and waiting for Brian's warning.

"Emmett." Brian said warningly, the way he always did when Emmett, who found this quite amusing, got too close to his Boy Wonder. Emmett laughed and pulled his arm off Justin and winked. 

"How about a drink on me?" Ted offered. He was happy because his new job was working out really well and wanted to celebrate with his friends.

"You got it, Teddy." Emmett said. With a flourish of his arm, he called a waiter over and the guys all ordered the drinks they wanted. The guys all sat around and chatted about what was going on in their lives.

"So, Bri, I hear you spent the afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese." Michael said with a laugh. Justin had told him about their afternoon when he called the loft to ask them to come to Woody's.

"It was hell. A million screaming children, greasy pizza, and a giant stuffed mouse." Brian said drolly. "Remind me never to let Justin talk me into any of these excursions again."

"He loved it." Justin mouthed the words and everyone laughed. Brian turned and looked and Justin wondering what he missed. "You have more fun than Gus did. You guys should have seen him taking Gus in the ball pit, and helping him play the games."

"I like him!" Mac said with a laugh.

"You have Mikey. Leave Justin alone." Brian said pulling Justin closer to him. Justin snuggled into Brian's arms proving that it was, by far, his favorite place to be.

"Yeah, you have me." Mikey said with a smile. Mac leaned over and kissed him. 

"I would never risk the wrath of Brian Kinney by not only trying to steal him man, but hurting his best friend in the process. I may not be a rocket scientist, but I'm not colossally stupid. Besides, I go for the adorable comic-loving types." Mac pinched Michael who started to giggle uncontrollably.

"Well, guys, it's quarter to ten. We should go relieve Deb of her babysitting duties and get the child to bed." Brian said. "And it's passed Gus's bed time too." Justin slapped him in the arm.

"Bye, you two." Everyone said in chorus making Brian turn and raise an eyebrow at them.

"That was just frightening." He said. "See you guys later." He slipped his hand into Justin's and they walked out of the bar.

 

 

"He was an angel, as usual." Justin told Lindsay and Melanie when they came to pick up Gus after their relaxing weekend in the country.

"He is my son after all!" Brian called from the bedroom as he finished packing all of Gus's things up in his bag. He lifted Gus off the bed and carried him into the living room. Lindsay, who still hated being away from her son for more than a few hours, ran over to him and hugged him as soon as Brian set his feet on the floor.

"Hi, Sweetie." She said pressing kisses all over his face. "How did you enjoy your weekend with Daddy and Justin?"

"Chuck E. Cheese!" Gus exclaimed flailing his arms in the air. "Daddy go in the balls with me!" He was squealing as he went on to tell about his night at Nana Debbie's house, and Daddy and Jussy playing with him in the afternoon.

"You took him to Chuck E. Cheese?" Melanie asked Brian in disbelief. She had barely survived the last time she and Lindsay took Gus there. She had no idea how Brian did it. "How many dead children are we going to be reading about in the newspaper?"

"None. Brian was very well behaved." Justin said. Lindsay and Melanie both stared at Brian who was just grinning at them. 

"Who are you and what have you done with Brian Kinney?" Lindsay asked. She was secretly thrilled at hearing this. It meant that she was right about Justin being a good influence on Brian.

"I killed him. Threw him in the river." Brian said with a smile. He kissed Lindsay on the cheek and then kissed Melanie. "Now, you guys better leave. Justin promised me a special treat tonight."

"So that's why you behaved!" Melanie exclaimed. "He lied. This is the real Brian Kinney, just wearing a nice guy mask." She lifted up Gus's bag.

"Byebye, Sonny Boy. Be good for your mommies." Brian kissed Gus. 

"Byebye, Daddy!" Gus said throwing his arms around Brian and giving him a sloppy kiss in return. He then turned to Justin and did the same. "Byebye, Jussy."

"Byebye, Gus Gus." Justin said as Lindsay and Melanie took Gus out of the loft. "Bye, Linds. Bye, Mel." Justin said before sliding the door to the loft shut.

 

 

"Morning," Justin said when he woke to find Brian dressing for work. "You should call in sick and come back to bed." Justin groaned. He and Brian had been up until 4am making a mess of the loft while they indulged themselves in a night of passion.

"Can't. Big meeting today. If I land this account they might promote me to partner." Brian tightened his tie. "I'm meeting Cynthia for coffee down the street to get my head on straight before the meeting."

"Still want me to come over tonight?" Justin asked as he finally sat up in bed.

"Come over?" Brian asked. "I thought..." Brian stopped. "Yeah, come over tonight." He leaned over and kissed Justin softly on the lips.

"Good luck, Bri." Justin said as Brian grabbed his briefcase and hurried out of the loft. Justin heard the door slam and then slide open again. Brian ran into the bedroom and kissed Justin again.

"Thanks, baby. I'll see you tonight." He said before hurrying out again. 

Justin lay back on the bed and though about Brian's reaction to him asking about coming over. He had acted like it shouldn't even have been an issue. Did Brian want him to move in? Did Brian assume that it was already decided without saying the words? Had he just ruined everything by asking about coming over?

 

 

"Congratulations, Partner." Marty Ryder said shaking Brian's hand. It had been two hours since the papers had been signed. The account he had landed that morning was going to be one of the biggest accounts the firm had ever had. The client had specifically asked that it be put in the contract that Brian head up the team on their account. 

"Thanks, Marty." Brian said. He was thrilled to be made a partner, but downplayed it of course. He didn't want anyone at work to think he had gone soft. In truth, he couldn't wait to get home to Justin and celebrate. He had decided that tonight was the night. Tonight he would say the words out loud, while Justin was awake.

When Brian pulled up in front of the loft, after having an obligatory celebration drink with several of the people from the agency, he saw Justin's car parked outside. He smiled. It was only now, after the pressure of the meeting and the partnership were off that he thought about Justin's question that morning.

"Still want me to come over tonight?" He had asked. What did that mean? He had been living there for months. Brian had just assumed that Justin had moved it. More and more of his stuff had migrated from the dorm to Brian's loft; he thought that the rest would come at the end of the school year.

He started doubting his decision to take that final leap with Justin. What if he didn't feel the same? What if he wanted to move back to the dorms and fool around like other 20-year-old guys? Brian looked into the gift bag that he had stashed in his glove box and he knew that he was doing the right thing. 

"Justin!" He called when he walked into the loft. He looked around. There were candles everywhere, the smell of cloves and garlic wafted into his nostrils, and he could see Justin in the kitchen stirring a pot on the stove. "What's all this?" He asked.

"Cynthia called. Congratulations, Partner." Justin said opening his arms and pulling Brian into a hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm pretty damn proud of myself." Brian was happy that he had Justin to share this with. Without him, it wouldn't feel as good. "What's for dinner?"

"Chicken. It's baking right now." Justin replied. Brian took his hand and led him to the couch. "What's up?" Justin asked. Brian didn't answer, he just made Justin sit down on the couch. "Brian!" Justin giggled at Brian's seriousness.

"Are you going to move in or what?" Brian asked bluntly.

"What!?!" Justin exclaimed. Not because he was surprised by the question, but because he was surprised by the manner in which Brian asked.

"Are you going to let some other poor sap who's paying far too much in rent at some dingy apartment have your dorm? Or are you going to stay in the dorm and be far, far away from me?" Brian asked, this time he was more cute and sweet.

"You want me to move in?" Justin asked.

"Well, you haven't slept in the dorm at all in the last few months. You've basically been living here anyways. Let's make it official." Brian said. "Let's move your stuff in and finally be able to call this Our loft."

"Yes!" Justin exclaimed. "I will move in!" He jumped up and hugged Brian. Brian hugged him briefly and the gently urged him to sit back down. Justin did as Brian wanted.

"I need to say something, Justin. And you can't interrupt me. OK?" Justin nodded. "When I met you three years ago you were a nuisance. But I still couldn't resist you. And then I realized that I actually liked you. Not only in bed, but I liked having you around, dancing with you at Babylon, just talking to you. There was something about you. When I finally resigned myself to the fact that we were in a relationship it scared the shit out of me. When you moved in here the first time I felt trapped. I, Brian Kinney, had a live in lover. So then I started doing things to screw it up. I guess I wanted you to leave me so I could hate you. 

"For a while I thought I actually did hate you. Whenever Emmett or Lindsay would mention that they talked to you I would tell them to shut up. That I was just glad you were finally gone. Neither of them believed me. Lindsay knows me better than anyone, even Michael. And Emmett has a sort of intuition when it comes to how people are feeling. Anyways, they kept talking about you. And that was when I started to realize that I didn't hate you. I missed you. God, I missed you more than anything." Brian reached out to take Justin's hand before continuing.

"When you came to Gus's party with Galen I was furious. There I was missing you so much and you were flaunting the person who took my place. I was about to leave the party when I saw those bruises. I was back there in that parking garage on the night of your prom. Except this time, there was something I could do. 

"I brought you back here because I wanted nothing more than for you to be mine again. I tried to give you time to heal. To feel safe. And when I felt you were ready I asked you to come out to Woody's. I had to see if things could be the same again. But they weren't. Because this time I realized...." he cleared his throat. "I realized that I love you."

Justin's eyes, which had been brimming with tears, now spilled over and he sniffled. These words were what he had been waiting three years to hear and now he really was hearing them. For some time now he had been dreaming that Brian said it to him, and now that dream had come true.

"I got you something." Brian said putting the gift bag on Justin's lap. Justin wiped at a tear before gingerly opening the bag. He gasped when he saw the rings inside. They were both a beautiful, thick white gold band with a Claddagh pattern on it. 

"Oh, Brian." He breathed. He looked on the inside of each ring. In the one that Brian pointed to and indicated as the one he wanted Justin to wear it said. "Us. Forever. Brian." And on the other it said "Justin. My heart."

Justin slipped the ring on his finger and picked the other up to slide it on Brian's finger. "Are you sure?" He asked. Brian smiled and nodded. Justin returned the smile and slipped the ring onto Brian's hand. "Tell me again."

"I love you, baby." Brian said before leaning in to seal it with a kiss. In the middle of the kiss, Justin pulled away.

"Wait! I love you too!" He exclaimed. He then pulled Brian back to him. "Ok, continue." They resumed what was their most passionate kiss. Before retiring to the bedroom, Justin turned off the oven. He was fairly confident that neither he nor Brian were going to want to eat the chicken any time soon.


	6. Chapter 6

"Get off!" Brian exclaimed trying to catch his breath as Justin tickled him until he had tears rolling from his eyes. Justin kept tickling. They had officially been living together just over a week. It had only taken one load in the Jeep to move the rest of Justin's things over, as most of it was already there. In this week, the boys had been giddy about living together and were always goofy around each other.

"Say uncle!" Justin exclaimed. "Say it!!" Brian finally gave in when he felt like he was going to lose control of his bladder.

"Uncle!" Brian screamed. "Now let me go before something very bad happens!" When Justin let go, Brian rolled away. "You are an evil child!"

"Ahh, you love it." Justin laughed. "Oh!" He suddenly remembered what he had been meaning to ask his lover. "My mom wants us to come over on Sunday."

"What for?" Brian asked running his fingers through his hair and still trying to catch his breath. Justin reminded himself to remember the image of Brian recovering from the tickle fight before answering the question.

"Dinner. My mom is big on family dinners. When she saw the ring, I guess she decided that now you're a part of the family." Justin shrugged. "I'd like if you'd come though."

 

"As long as I don't have to change my name to Brian Taylor, I'm in." Brian climbed off the bed. "Speaking of dinner, are you hungry?"

"Order from that East Indian place." Justin said. "I have to draw something." He picked up his sketchbook, got comfortable, and started to sketch the image of Brian after being tickled into submission. He loved drawing Brian, there was something about him that jumped off the page.

Justin was lost in thought and didn't hear the buzzer or Brian letting someone into the loft. "Justin! Your competition is here." That caught Justin attention and he stepped out of the bedroom. He saw Daphne standing inside the entrance to the loft.

 

"Daph!" He exclaimed and ran over to hug her. He was thrilled that she was here. 

"I was serious, Justin." Brian joked. "This girl is going to steal my heart." He kissed Daphne on the top of her head, like he always did, and went into the bedroom to give his boyfriend some time with his best friend.

"What are you doing here, Daph?" Justin asked. "What happened to New York?" Daphne had transferred to NYU almost a year earlier and from what she told Justin in her emails, she was having a great time.

"My family wanted me to visit. Besides, school's out for the summer." She said. "I'm here for a whole month."

"Daph, that is so great!" Justin pulled her over to the couch. "Tell me all about New York. Tell me about the guys!" He loved gossiping with Daphne and was happier than he could say that he had the chance.

"Hey!" Brian called from the bedroom. "You're a married man! Daphne, don't tell him about the guys."

"Married?" Daphne asked. Justin held up his ring proudly. He loved telling people about the brand new commitment that he and Brian had.

"Brian gave me a ring. He wears one too." Justin said. He slipped his ring off and showed her the inscription. Even though he had shown the ring to nearly everyone he knew, he hadn't shown anyone the inscription. Until now.

"Justin, it's beautiful." Daphne said. She could boast that she had always known that Justin would snag Brian for real in the end. Ever since that first morning, and Justin's "I just saw the face of God" comment, Daphne was sure that her best friend had met the man of his dreams. And since the first time she spoke to Brian, she knew that Brian Kinney had met his match.

"And I live here now. Officially." Justin said with a grin. "It's perfect." He said these things quietly because he didn't want Brian to hear him get all gushy.

When the guys had first seen the rings at Babylon a couple of days after Brian had given Justin his and put his own on his finger, Brian had been quiet about them. He tried not to make a big deal out of them saying something along the lines of "The kid had to wear some kind of jewelry. At least I got him something tasteful," in that tone of voice he had when he was trying just a little too hard to be casual.

Ted and Michael had gotten in a little bit of ribbing, while Emmett got a little bit misty eyed, he was a sucker for a happily ever after. Debbie had swept both boys into bear hugs when she first saw the rings. She was thrilled that Sunshine had finally gotten his man. She had even asked when the commitment ceremony was going to be. Justin had expected some sarcastic comment from Brian, but he said nothing. 

Justin was a little surprised that everyone thought he had finally nabbed Brian when, in truth, they had both done a little bit of nabbing. Brian was different now. Sure, he tried to keep up the ruthless Brian Kinney facade, but everyone who knew him well knew that he was settling into the domestic routine quite nicely.

His new account was taking up a fair bit of time and he was usually home late from work and not in the mood to go out to the clubs. Justin was pretty sure that the people at Blockbuster knew them by name by now. They would rent a movie and Brian would try to do some work while they watched it. After about twenty minutes he would give up trying to work and cuddle up to his "baby".

As soon as he was done school in a few days, Justin was going to be working full time at the restaurant on the day shift so he would always be home when Brian trudged in after work. Though Brian always seemed to be grouchy after he came home from work, his mood always seemed to improve as soon as he saw Justin smile. Justin's smile was his drug.

"New York is great!" Daphne gushed. "But it's good to be home for a while. I miss Brett though." She made a pouty face. Brett was her serious boyfriend of about 7 months. He was a year ahead of her in the Journalism program at the University and, according to Daphne, so adorable!!

"When is he coming to visit? I want to meet this guy!" Justin said. Daphne giggled. 

"Me, too! I need to scope the competition." Brian's voice carried in from the bedroom. "He better treat you right or I will seriously hurt him."

"Thanks, Brian." Brian still had the ability to make Daphne giggle and blush. "I'm sure he will."

Justin and Daphne spent an hour gushing and talking about what had been going on with them. Justin discovered that Brett would, in fact, be visiting. In about two weeks. He promised Daphne he would try to talk Brian into a double date. Apparently one of the things that she and Brett had in common was that they both had a gay best friend. This comforted Justin some since he now knew that Brett wasn't a homophobe.

By the time Daphne left, Brian had fallen fast asleep on the bed, a legal pad covered in possible slogans laid across his chest. Justin liked spending Sunday afternoons with Brian. Usually they stayed in or went to visit Gus, sometimes they went to the park and roller bladed, or sometimes they went over to Debbie's to spend some quality time with her and Vic. Brian was becoming more and more domestic everyday.

"Bri." Justin whispered. "Wake up." Brian stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He smiled. One of his favorite things was waking up from sleep and looking at Justin's beautiful face.

"Where's my woman?" Brian joked running his hands through his hair. Justin thwapped him in the arm. "She's hot. She could make me try out the straight thing if she would look my way."

"Shut up, Brian." Justin said laughing. "It's sooo not funny!"

 

"I am sooo funny!" Brian mocked Justin's exaggerated tone. 

"Sure, Bri." Justin shook his head. "And by the way, I had sex with her. I'd have to say, I'm much better in the sack."

"You're much better in the sack than anyone." Brian said. He looked around exaggeratedly. "And would you look at that, we just happen to be in the sack right now!" With that he grabbed Justin and pinned him to the bed. "I love you."

"Oh, Brian..." Justin said as Brian started to nip at his neck and collar bone lightly, first gently rubbing his tongue and lips along the skin and then switching to gently using his teeth. "I love you, tooooo." The last word poured from his lips longer than he had expected as Brian reached between his legs and began stroking him there.

"You're just saying that because we're about to have mind blowing sex." Brian teased as he slowly undressed Justin from top to bottom dragging his lips and tongue over Justin's skin as it was revealed.

"Ohhhh." Justin moaned as Brian dipped his tongue into Justin's navel. He loved when Brian played with his bellybutton. And Brain reached lower, and slowly lowered the zipper on Justin's pants, Justin grabbed hold of the sheets in anticipation. He wasn't disappointed as Brian quickly removed the rest of Justin's clothes and slipped his mouth over the head of his lover's cock, sucking gently.

"Tell me, Justin. Say the words." Brian said, only lifting his mouth from the length of Justin's shaft for a moment. Justin shuddered. "Tell me, baby." Brian repeated. When he returned his attention Justin's dick again he increased the pressure ever so slightly so that he has Justin writhing beneath him. "Say it."

"I... oh, Brian!... I love you, Brian!" Justin screamed as he let go and fell into the oblivion of orgasm.

 

 

"Hi, you two." Jennifer Taylor said when she opened the door on Sunday evening to see Justin and Brian standing there holding hands. The way that Brian was holding the bottle of Chardonnay he had brought with him showed her that he was, in fact, wearing a matching ring to Justin's.

"Hi, Mom." Justin said letting go of Brian's hand and hugging his mom tightly and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Hi, Jenn." Brian said with a smile. He also leaned over to kiss her cheek. He was more than pleased that Justin's family accepted him as a couple. 

“Dinner will be ready soon." Jennifer said. "Come on in." She opened the door further and the boys stepped in. Brian handed Jennifer the bottle of wine and she looked down at it. It was her favorite, very expensive. "Thank you, Brian. This is my favorite wine." She said sincerely. "Would you like a glass before dinner?"

"Yes, that would be great." Brian said. He took Justin's hand and was lead into the living room. Brian almost fell flat on his face when Justin stopped abruptly. When he saw the reason that Justin had stopped, he nearly fell down again.

There, at the coffee table playing Monopoly, sat Molly and Craig Taylor. Justin turned and stepped back out of the living room and dragged Brian, who was stunned, into the kitchen.

"Mom, you didn't tell me dad was going to be here!" Justin hissed trying to keep his voice down. Jennifer turned and looked at her son.

"When I told him you were coming for dinner with Brian, he asked if he could come. I told him that he has to be nice. He promised." Jennifer said. She knew more about the situation than she was ready to tell Justin yet. Craig had found out a few months ago that his best friend from college had died of AIDS. And that his lover had died nearly a year earlier. Craig hadn't even known that Gary was gay, not until Gary's sister Linda called and told him. It had put things in perspective for Craig and he now wanted to rebuild his relationship with his son.

Craig had admitted, after he came home from Gary's funeral in Houston, that after seeing a friend buried, his biggest fear was having to come to someone in his own family's funeral without ever really knowing them. When he heard about the rings, and that Justin and Brian were actually a couple, he had actually been happy. He was proud that his son didn't have to hide who he was, and that Justin loved and was loved in return.

Justin, still skeptical since he didn't know the whole story, turned and walked into the living room. Brian stayed in the kitchen with Jennifer, offering to help her with dinner. He was already nervous about doing something wrong at this dinner and didn't want to do or say the wrong thing because Craig Taylor made him mad. 

"It's ok, Brian." Jennifer said. "I can vouch for that." He saw something on her face that showed him she was hiding something. Surprisingly, it made him feel better. 

"So, want me to start calling you mom or something?" Brian asked playfully as he helped Jennifer set the table and get everything ready. Jennifer laughed.

 

"You want to call me mom?" She asked, still laughing. "I think I'm starting to believe in alien abductions."

Brian shrugged. "Mom it is, then." He conceded since she didn't directly answer the question. "Don't worry though, I'll wait until Craig is gone home."

"Thanks." Jennifer said lightly. "Wouldn't want to give him a heart attack on the first night. After a couple of weekly dinners, you can call me mom in front of my ex-husband." Jennifer spoke with a little bit of a giggle in her voice, like she was conspiring to play a prank.

Brian laughed and took a sip of his wine. Jennifer took Brian's lead and the two of them sat down at the table and chatted about their respective careers, Jennifer wanting to know all about Brian's promotion, until the buzzer rang and signaled that the curry chicken Jennifer had been cooking was all done.

"Brian, would you go call everyone for dinner?" Jennifer asked. Brian nodded. He set down his wine glass and stood to go find Justin, Molly, and Craig. When he walked into the living room he was surprised by what he saw. Justin and Craig were deep in conversation as Molly scrunched up her face thinking about whether she should buy Park Place or leave it.

"Dinner time." Brian said after clearing his throat. Justin stood. He was beaming. It was obvious that the quality time with his father, even just the ten minutes that they had had, was going to be a good thing.

Dinner went well. Justin was excited to tell his father about everything that had been happening in his life. He told him about school and his job as a waiter. What shocked everyone was when Craig turned and began talking to Brian.

 

"Jenn tells me you jut got a big promotion." Craig said taking a sip of his wine. Brian's eyes widened but, being Brian Kinney, he quickly regained his composure and began a conversation with Justin's dad. 

Brian felt like he was in a parallel universe. He was sitting having a family dinner with his lover, his lover's mother who, at one time, hadn't wanted him to ever see Justin again, his lover's little sister, and his lover's once homophobic father. He started to wonder what happened to the old Brian, the Brian who wouldn't have been caught dead at a family dinner.

"Mom, dinner was great." Justin said with a smile as he and Brian were about to leave. Brian had to be at work early the next morning so they couldn't stick around too long to chat.

"Well, I hope you guys will be back next Sunday." Jennifer replied with a genuine smile. She finally felt like she was getting her family back.

Justin looked at Brian who nodded. "Sure, mom. Can you make that pork thing?" Justin asked. One thing he had missed in the last few years, while he had been living alone, was his mom's home cooking.

"Sure, honey." Jennifer said. "Now, you two, drive safe, ok?" She hugged her son and swiftly hugged Brian tightly. It was only now that she realized that she would want no one else for her son. 

 

"Bye, mom." Brian teased. "See you next Sunday."

 

 

"You what!?!" Justin exclaimed when Brian told him what he was planning. Justin had been sitting on the couch finishing up his portfolio to hand it in the next morning when Brian came home, grabbed him off the couch, and danced him around the room.

"I booked a trip to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. It's called Moon Palace." Brian was still excitedly dancing Justin around the room. He had another surprise for his baby but that could wait until they got there.

"When?" Justin asked incredulously. He couldn't believe Brian wanted to go on a vacation with him, a romantic tropical vacation, at that.

"Start up the computer, I'll show you the website. It is so gorgeous!!" Brian took Justin the computer and found the website. Justin looked at the site and became more and more excited with everything he saw or read. It really was an amazing place. Every room had it's own double jacuzzi.

"Brian, it's incredible." Justin said breathlessly. At that moment he felt like he fell in love with Brian all over again. "This vacation is going to be the most wonderful vacation ever." He threw his arms around Brian who smirked because Justin didn't know the half of it.

"We leave in a week." Brian said. "I'll be working late until then. Oh, and I talked to your boss, he said it's fine."

"You talked to Jerry?" Justin asked. He felt a little funny about Brian asking his boss is he could have the time off. 

"Yeah. He was cool with it." Brian said. He wanted to tell Justin so badly what he had told Jerry, but couldn't. He was determined to keep his secret up until he had to tell it.

"Umm, ok." Justin said. "I should call my mom!" He was back to being excited. A whole week on the beach with Brian sounded wonderful. They could do everything together Justin had always dreamed of doing with Brian. Quiet walks on the beach at sunset, laying on their veranda in the hammock watching the sun rise, playing in the pool, dancing at the discothèque... it all sounded perfect to Justin. He laughed to himself. I'm still a hopeless romantic, he thought to himself. 

"Call her! Call everyone!" Brian said. "Later!" He pulled Justin into the bedroom to try and work out some of the excited energy building inside him. Since he was home early Brian wanted to take Justin out to Babylon with the boys since they wouldn't get to go again until after the trip.

"Brian!" Justin giggled as Brian pushed him onto the bed and started pulling at his clothes. In his haste, he tore Justin's sweatshirt. Immediately his mouth was at Justin's ear.

"I'll buy you a new one, just take that one off!" he growled. He was pulling at his own clothes as well. He needed to feel Justin's skin against his own. Finesse be damned.

 

 

"Mexico?" Michael asked when Brian told him and Ted about the upcoming Moon Palace vacation. They were both a little shocked that Brian was taking so many steps at once. He and Justin were now living together, wearing matching rings, and now they were going on a romantic getaway.

"Yup." Brian said looking around. He saw Justin and Emmett tearing it up on the dance floor. Emmett was the only guy whose head Brian didn't want to tear off when he danced with Justin. Sure, he always warned Emmett about putting his hands on Justin, but it was just fun. He knew Emmett had a lot of respect for his relationship with Justin, probably more than anyone.

"What about your big campaign?" Michael had a whiny tone in his voice that surprised both Brian and Ted. It was a tone they hadn't heard since Michael met Mac. Mac's absence this evening didn't go unnoticed by the boys, but no one chose to say anything until Michael did.

"Everything is going to be handled. While I'm gone Bob and Brad are going to keep up correspondence with the client, since that's all they're good for anyways, and then we're going to get everything in order as soon as I get back." Brian smiled. He was paying less attention to Michael and the conversation than he was to Justin on the dance floor. Emmett was spinning Justin around and they were nearly falling over with dizziness and laughter.

"You can just leave like that?" Michael saw that Brian wasn't listening and still whined and whined. Ted watched silently and pictured Michael crossing his arms across his chest and stomping his foot, like a child who wasn't getting his way.

"Yes." Brian said putting down his beer. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to make sure Emmett doesn't steal my man." He walked away, tired of hearing Michael making a big deal out of his going away for a couple of weeks. "Hey." Brian said into Justin's ear as wrapped his arms around Justin from behind. "Do I have some competition here?" 

"Emmett is about as much competition to you as Daph is to me." Justin laughed. He was having a great time, even greater now that he was dancing with Brian.

"Good." He nipped at Justin's cheek and they continued dancing. Eventually, Michael and Ted joined them and Michael seemed to have calmed down a little. Brian 2hoped that Ted had said something to him.

 

 

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful." Jennifer said when Justin told her about the upcoming trip. "Like a honeymoon." Justin was puzzled at his mother's mood. It had been almost a week since their Sunday dinner and every time that Justin had spoken to his mother she had been in a good mood. Like she was getting laid. Justin grimaced at the thought.

"Yeah. The place is gorgeous mom. It's so perfect!" Justin was still trying to shake the image of his mother having sex. Straight sex could be disturbing enough to Justin, but to think of his mother... Ew! I have to stop this train of thought, Justin thought to himself.

"Well, actually, I have a little bit of news too." Jennifer said. "It's about your father." She looked at Justin who just stared back at her waiting for the news. "We're taking a trip of our own. We're spending a weekend in the Pocono’s. We've decided to try and work things out."

"Mom! That's great!" Justin stood from the table and hugged his mom. Many of the patrons of the restaurant turned and looked at them. "When did this happen?"

"Last Sunday, after you left. We started talking and decided that it's worth a try." Jennifer was beaming. Justin was really happy for his mother. It was always obvious to him that she still loved his father.

"I'm happy for you, Mom." Justin smiled widely. "It feels like everything is right with the world." He shook the cynical thought that it's when everything feels right that everything goes wrong from his head.

"Everything is right. My children are happy, I'm happy." Jennifer took Justin's hand as they sat back down to eat their lunch. They shared a wonderful conversation.

 

... Three Weeks Later ...

Justin dropped his bags on the floor of the loft and headed directly for the shower. Brian was right behind him. The flight back to Pittsburgh had been hell. There were two teenaged boys in the seats behind them who kept play fighting and smashing into their seats, at least three screaming babies whose mothers couldn't get them to shut up for the whole flight, and a waify flight attendant who blatantly flirted with Brian and seemed to have trouble keeping her hands off him.

 

Justin couldn't have been more thrilled with the rest of the trip though. Everything was perfect. Well, almost perfect. The day he had seen Chris Hobbs hadn't been so perfect. He and Brian had been laying together on the beach when they say another gay couple strolling hand in hand down the beach. Justin slipped off his sunglasses when he realized that half of that couple was the guy who had nearly killed him a couple of years earlier. When Chris admitted that he was, in fact, gay and that the man with him was his lover of over a year, Justin was in shock. He had looked and Chris and told him to go away. He did. However, he left Justin more than a little shaken.

Justin thought back to the fifth day of the trip, the day that changed his life....

Justin and Brian were cuddled together in the hammock watching the sunrise, just like they had every morning since arriving at the resort. As the sun peaked over the horizon, Brian climbed out of the hammock and got down on one knee.

"I know we can't do this legally, but we can say the words and take the vows. Will you marry me?" He asked. He was nervous and sweating. When a smile spread across Justin's face, no words were needed. He swept Justin up in his arms and told him to get dressed. 

"Get dressed?" Justin asked. "We're not going to sit here and enjoy the fact that we're getting married?"

"You know I'm the type who does, not they type who thinks about it. We're getting married, baby. Put on something nice." Brian went inside and immediately jumped in the shower. Their commitment ceremony was scheduled for 11:30am. He wanted everything to be perfect. He had seen pictures of what gazebo where they would take their vows would look like, and he knew that they would be brought there on a horse drawn carriage.

Brian had thought of everything. The previous night, he had invited Sue and Jake, a straight couple that they had been spending some time with, to attend the ceremony and celebrate with them afterwards. There had been some more planning with the wedding planner ahead of time to make it a commitment ceremony as apposed to a wedding, and to make it for a groom and another groom instead of a bride and groom, but Brian had taken care of all that. Everything was set to go. The only thing Justin had to do was take Brian's hand and walk down the aisle. 

The ceremony was beautiful. Brian and Justin arrived at the Gazebo in a horse drawn carriage and had walked together to the alter. Brian had arranged for a wonderful man who performed commitment ceremonies in Los Angeles to be there to perform the ceremony.

... 

Justin smiled at the memory. He was a married man now. Brian had arranged a party at the loft for the night they got home. Everyone who mattered to them was going to be there. The boys thought of it as their reception.

"Are you excited to tell everyone?" Brian asked, rousing Justin from his thoughts, as he washed his lover's back. Justin smiled and nodded enthusiastically. He actually suspected that Brian was just as excited to share the news as he was.

"They'll be here in an hour or so." Justin said. "Even my mom and dad." He was glad that he was finally able to share his life with his father. There were so many things that made him happy in his life that he had longed to share with his father, now he actually could.

"Lindsay is going to hurt me." Brian said. "For not inviting everyone. What if no one believes it?" And he was pretty sure no one would the first time they told them.

"We have pictures. And a video." Justin reminded him. "We should just show them that instead of telling them. Emmett and Lindsay will be crying with joy, Michael will be crying "what the hell", and everyone else will be too shocked to cry."

"I like the way your mind works." Brian kissed Justin's neck. "Think we have time for a little...?"

"No." Justin groaned. "We both have to get ready and I have to get all the food ready. I hope Mrs. Jameson brought everything I asked for."

 

"You are NO fun." Brian pouted. "I finally got married and it's to someone who's no fun!" Justin turned to face him. 

"I promise I'll do that thing I did on our wedding night as soon as everybody leaves." Justin winked as he grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower. Brian groaned. He was left the with image of him and Justin on the huge bed at the resort, and Justin doing incredible things with his mouth.

"Please let them not stay long." He said to himself before he too got out of the shower and went to dress for their reception. He thought of the day of the wedding. He had been scared, terrified even, that he wouldn't be able to do it, hat the lights of Liberty Ave would call to him and he would be tempted away from Justin. But the moment he heard Justin say his vows, he knew that he was in it for the long haul. And he knew that there was no one else in the world for him.

Who'd've thought? Brian Kinney, a married man. He chuckled to himself. He couldn't wait to see the looks on his friends and family's faces when they found out. He loved shocking them and began wondering what he could do now that he was married to still shock everyone. He was sure there were a lot of things that would do the trick, like being able to be faithful.

"Brian! Come on!" Justin hurried him along. Brian smiled. Yep, he knew he was going to be completely happy with his new husband.

 

 

"Come on, you guys." Justin said trying to get everyone to quiet down so he could start the wedding video. "We want you to see our trip!"

"Promise it won't be as boring as Michael's slides from Paris?" Ted pleaded. Justin looked over at Brian and winked.

"No, I'm pretty sure you won't be bored." He said with a sneaky tone in his voice.

"If you two are making us watch porn..." Melanie's threat was cut off.

"It's not porn!" Justin exclaimed. "Just watch." He pressed play and everyone's eyes were glued to the screen as soon as they saw the beautifully decorated gazebo where the ceremony was about the be perform.

Justin watched as mouths dropped. Tears came to Emmett's eyes and he kept touching Ted's arm and whispering "Beautiful." Debbie and Jennifer were sitting together holding hands and letting the tears fall as they watched the boys take commitment vows. Justin even could have sworn he saw his father brush away a tear. It was Michael's reaction that bothered both Brian and Justin. He watched tight lipped for few minutes before getting up and going into the bathroom. Brian considered going after him, but decided not to.

Once the video ended, everyone turned their shocked faces towards Brian and Justin who were sitting in the chaise lounge smiling like Cheshire cats. Debbie was the first to speak. "What the hell was that, you two?" She tried to sound pissed off underneath her tears of joy. "You had one of those ceremonies without all of us."

"Well, we invited you to the reception!" Brian made a gesture with his arms that showed them that this was the reception.

 

"I'm so happy for you, honey." Jennifer rushed over to her son and pulled him close in an embrace that nearly stole Justin's breath. "And Brian." She hugged Brian just as tightly. "You've earned the right to call me mom now." Everyone did something similar. They told them that they were happy for them and hugged them close. Last came Craig Taylor.

"Congratulations, Justin." Craig said. He hugged his son for the first time in years. "I am so proud of you."

Justin started to cry. It was those words that he had been waiting for since he was 17. "Thank you, dad." He said through his tears. "I love you."  
"I love you too, son." Craig pulled away from his son to look at Justin's husband. Though he had hated him all that time, he was now thrilled to have him in the family.

Brian shook Craig's hand and then excused himself. It had been over a half hour since Michael had gone into the washroom and he wanted to make sure he was ok. When he entered the room, Michael was sitting on the counter looking at his hands.

"I was wondering when you were going to come find me." Michael said. He didn't lift his head but glanced over at Brian.

"Why did you leave?" Brian asked climbing up on the counter next to his best friend.

"Everything's different now, isn't it?" Michael finally lifted his head. "Last week me and Mac decided to move in together. I was scared because I was afraid it would change everything. But it's all changed anyways."

"Mikey, just because we're married, it doesn't mean we're going to be any different." Brian put an arm around Michael. "And you and I are still best friends. Who am I going to mooch a couch off of when Justin gets mad and kicks me out, which is likely to happen many times before we get into the married groove."

"I can't believe you did it." Michael laughed. "Brian Kinney is married. What's next? We going to find out that Richard Simmons is straight?"

"A year ago I would have thought that was more likely than me getting married." Brian laughed. "I think I did the right thing though."

"I'm happy for you, Bri." Michael threw his arms around Brian. "And if anything changes, I'm going to be strongly lobbying for a divorce."

 

"Promise?" Brian laughed. He and Mikey linked arms as they joined the group to celebrate. Brian wondered how it could be, in his life, that everything was exactly perfect. He had everyone he cared about with him as he celebrated his marriage to the only man in the world who could fill him with life. He walked over to his new husband.

"Hey." Justin said. Brian leaned down and rested his forehead against Justin's. Yep, this was where he was supposed to be. With his family, and his husband, happy and in love. Life was good.

"I love you." Brian whispered.

"I love you, too." Justin leaned in and kissed his husband. Applause immediately filled the loft. Brian and Justin looked at everyone who had been watching the exchange. And they smiled.


End file.
